In Loving Memory
by n1ghtw-ng
Summary: [HIATUS] After the disappearance of her best friend, Misty Waterflower is a complete and utter emotional wreck. When an unlikely friend steps forward to comfort her will she accept with open arms or push him away like she has done to everyone else?
1. Chapter 1

**hello wonderful readers! i have been inspired. bad experiences get the creative side of me flowing haha. is going to be a multichapter fic and i hope you enjoy!**

**disclaimer: i don't own pokemon, fyi. if i did egoshipping and contestshipping would be canon, duh.**

**warning: rated T just in case someone gets butthurt about my fic.**

**reviews are lovely!**

**enjoy!**

* * *

The sound of the rain always seemed to calm Misty Waterflower in her most panicked. Listening to each droplet hit the window nearest to her was like listening to Chimecho's endless chime. Now it was something that served as a constant reminder of the loss of her best friend. The day she was told of his disappearance it was a torrential downpour.

She remembered their first encounter and how she fished him and his yellow mouse out of the Pallet River. Not five minutes later did he burn her bike, which he stole, to a crisp. Those few events led to what would be some of the best years of her life.

Now she was standing in some small church outside of Lavender Town clutching her last connection to the boy. He'd been missing for almost six months now and everyone was starting to give up hope that he'd be found. Misty hated to admit that some of his closest friends were giving up on him too. There was barely anything to hold onto for hope. All the police were able to find was a faded pink handkerchief with a faded mini Misty fishing lure wrapped inside.

Glancing around the pact room she hadn't realized how many people were there. She saw the familiar bluenette who traveled with him in Sinnoh. She saw the older boy who was usually in a t-shirt, shorts, and a red headband sitting front row next to her three sisters. Way in the back, she saw a spiky haired brunette standing next to a man with green hair and another with purple hair as they talked amongst themselves.

Besides Misty there were only a select few who kept their faith. One was a tall, naturally tanned, broad shouldered man with short dark brown hair. The other a petite brunette whose sapphire eyes were heavy from loss of sleep. There was also an older professor who had gray hair and kind eyes which were always so inviting.

The three of them stood behind to his mother, who was now in her mid-forties but looked much older due to the emotional baggage she carried. Her hazel eyes held in so many tears Misty didn't believe it was possible. The professor stood at her left side with a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The pair had been officially married for a year now and this was one tragedy they wish never occurred.

As his mother, Delia, stepped up to the podium. Everyone immediately went dead silent because this was more important than any conversation they were having. She took a deep breath before opening her mouth to speak.

"I-I'd like to thank you all for being here today," she began with a shaky voice. "I know that this is hard for all of us and the fact that we can be here together really shows that my son was able to not only make friends on his journeys, but family too." She gave a warm, weak smile as she looked back at the small group of teenagers who stood behind her.

"There isn't much anyone can do anymore and with a lot of thought I have decided a memorial was in order. We know for a fact that if he were here right now he would tell us all that we should be laughing and smiling and thinking only good thoughts and talking only good memories. I know that you all have had many adventures with him and if we could all share it would take years. Today however, three of the most important people in not only his life, but mine as well, have picked out highlights of their time with him." She paused for a moment as tears began to escape her eyes. "H-He may be gone, but he will not be forgotten."

She glanced back at trio behind her, locking eyes with the redhead who she promised the final speaking spot too. First the brunette, May, stepped up and cleared her throat. The girl was someone Misty had grown to know and love since their first encounter back in the Hoenn traveling days. She had a thick layer of mascara running down her cheeks from the tears which didn't stop coming.

"A-Ash was my first traveling partner, my first friend away from home. If I would have never met him, I would have never found my love for contests. The way we pushed each other to do better, whether it was a battle or not, always seemed to be the extra catalyst I needed to have the chemicals react. No matter what was," she stopped to hold back a sob, "hap-happening between us, we were always able to joke around and enjoy the little things." She let out the hysterical sob but quickly composed herself the best she could.

"Something about this isn't fair, and I don't understand why we had to lose someone so, so important in our lives. Wherever you are, just please Ash, be..be okay." May choked out a sob, burying her head in her hands. The green haired boy, Drew, quickly rushed to her side to escort her away. As she cried he wrapped an arm almost instinctively around her shoulder, rubbing her back with his free hand to sooth her. Misty had assumed the two were dating but right now there were more important things on her mind.

Next Brock, the only male in the original trio who stood by Delia's side, stepped up. He ran a hand through his dark hair, silent. In all her years of knowing him Misty had never once seen her brotherly figure speechless. There was something about this that was unsettling in the redhead's stomach. As Brock went to speak a noise which sounded like the beginning of a sentence escaped his lips. He closed his mouth and went to speak again but the same thing happened. He just sighed, shaking his head as the tears slowly left his eyes.

Misty had seen a lot of things in her life. She had seen legendaries like Entei and Celebi, she had seen the Mirage Kingdom where her baby Togetic had gone, she had even seen her best friend turned to stone but never had she seen Brock Slate cry. She watched as he broke down in front of the crowd, trying to keep himself together. He just shook his head more, wiping the tears from his eyes as he stepped back, allowing Misty to have her turn.

If you wanted the truth, the cerulean eyed girl hadn't figured out what she was going to say. Maybe it was time to confess her overly obvious feelings, or maybe it was time to say that she couldn't cope and she needed any support she could get.

Sighing softly, she took her step forward. The sound of her heel hitting the ground echoed, giving her goosebumps. She glanced around the room looking for somewhere to keep her focus. Her eyes settled on a spot in the center of the Kyogre stained glass window. Slowly, she reached into the pocket of the black pencil skirt she was wearing, shakily pulling out a folded up piece of paper which held everything she had brainstormed written on it. Carefully she unfolded it, placing it on the stand in front of her.

"You know Ash, I've never been good at public speaking but I guess you're always my exception to things that make me step out of my comfort zone. That's why I think I didn't like you at first, because you forced me into situations I wasn't okay with. You made me overcome my fear of bugs, did you know that? Your Butterfree was the reason I'm now able to walk through the Viridian Forest alone. You taught me how to control my temper, though it never seemed like it," she laughed lightly, which got everyone to smile and laugh along.

"I learned what a real friend was, and I learned what it was like to have someone not give up on you. I learned the value of good friends, and I grew up. Somedays I reflect on those long nights we would spend sitting up and talking about everything and nothing, or those days when I'd want to strangle you for getting us lost with your 'short cuts' because you thought you were the smartest human being in existence."

"Right now, I don't know specifically where you are or who you're with or what you're doing, none of us do. However, I know..." Her voice trailed off. Taking another deep breath as a few tears glided down her porcelain cheeks, "I know that wherever you are, heaven or earth, you are probably thinking of the quickest route home because you know we're all so worried about you. So please Ash, please..." She paused for a minute to hold back a single sob.

"Come back home."

As that last line left her lips she felt her whole body give out. She fell to the ground on her knees, letting out an uncontrollable sob. She felt no pair of comforting arms around her like May had. It was as if everyone in this damn room thought she was as helpless as a newborn Eevee pup. She was weak, not strong like Ash would want her to be. Not holding herself together like May would have expected. It was too much

After a minute or so of sitting there weeping in front of most of the Pokemon League she was picked up by Tracey, a long time friend, and carried outside so she could breathe. She kicked and flailed her arms, pounding on his back with her fists.

"Let me go! Tracey! Let me go!" She sobbed, shaking her head as she demanded to be put down. Tracey, being much bigger than the youngest Waterflower sister, ignored her as they stepped out front of the building.

"Mist," he began softly, "I'm going to put you down on three and you're going to take a long deep breath, okay?" He didn't wait for her answer because right now she didn't care and he was very aware.

"One...Two..." He carefully lifted her back over his shoulder and placed her down, "three."

Not even a second later did Misty collapse onto the ground. Her knee became scraped up and bloody, her usually bright eyes still letting tears fall. Tracey stared down at the poor girl not knowing what to do.

"Misty, I-"

"Leave me alone Tracey." She snapped, cutting off his sentence. If there was one thing she would never it do it was admit she was helpless. Yes the thought was always crossing her mind but it was never as if she would act on it.. Her sisters were that way, not her. Shaking his head, Tracey sighed.

"I'm going back in. I want you to stay out here until you're sure you won't lose it," Tracey spoke with a certain hinted harshness. He turned around and went back in, leaving the redhead alone with her thoughts.

Staring blankly at the door, she blinked a few times. How could he leave her like this? Why wasn't he out here comforting her? Tracey was supposed to be one of her best friends and he just left her outside in the middle of the sidewalk. Maybe he was tired of her being so upset, or maybe he just didn't care about Ash anymore. Maybe he figured if Ash wasn't home by now he was dead and they should just accept it.

Realizing she was still in the middle of the sidewalk Misty put any energy she had left into her legs. Slowly she stood, incredibly shaky, and moved to the old wooden bench off to the side. Being in someones way was her personal talent and she didn't want to show off here.

Her heart was aching, her stomach was churning. She felt like ass for falling apart that easily in front of everyone. Delia needed her, Brock needed her, hell even May needed her and she let them all down.

Running a hand through her fiery hair she felt more tears forming. Why on Shaymin's green earth was Ash the one taken away from them? Why wasn't it her? Nobody would miss her, maybe her sisters and her few close friends but that's it. Nobody loved her like people loved Ash. She was just the girl who was seen as a tag-along with no place to really go. Allowing her tears to escape again she started to cry but not because she was sad, but because she was desperate for answers.

Just on the other side of the paper thin church doors stood the spiky haired brunette who had been watching the redhead from the small stain glass window. It was hard to make out her facial features but it was obvious she was crying again. He'd watched the whole scene unfold, from Tracey leaving her to her attempt to move to the bench. Running a hand through his hair, he leaned on the door frame letting out a deep sigh.

"Oh Red, I wish you weren't so sad. You don't deserve this."


	2. Chapter 2

**woah, chapter two?**

**i'm back! and i'm going to try and start writing again! i really hope people actually still remember this is out there. well enjoy!**

**-****kiers**

**disclaimer: if i owned pokemon egoshipping would be canon kthxbai**

"Aren't you going to come say bye Misty? We're like, leaving!"

"Yeah, like, come on baby sis!"

It had been almost a month since Ash's service and the three eldest Waterflower sisters were leaving...again.

Misty would be lying if she said she wasn't used to this sort of thing. They'd come home for a good month, only if it was within reason, then leave as soon as they felt things were good. They were travelers, performers, lovers of being out of their hometown. Chained to the Cerulean City Gym was not the way they should be living but that didn't mean it was how Misty should be living either. She never spoke up about it though, knowing with a three against one ratio she would never get to travel again. Not unless a miracle happened.

Maybe a miracle would bring back her best friend too.

The loss of the raven-haired boy still hit her like a ton of bricks. Every morning when she woke up it was like a slap in the face and a kick in the gut all at once. Friends would come stay with her every so often; Brock was there for the first week right after the service but had to leave to get back home. Tracey would stop by every so often. He wouldn't say much but that didn't bother the redhead anymore. May, who was now staying in a rental apartment a block away from the gym, was there almost every other night. Her long time rival and now boyfriend Drew was there as well. They were almost like Misty's personal babysitters.

She hated it. The constant feeling of helplessness which overwhelmed her body and literally crushed her insides like a rock smash attack on repeat.

"Misty!" The voice of her eldest sister Daisy whined.

"What?!" She snapped back as she made her way down the hallway towards her sisters and their luggage. As much as she did love her sisters they were so damn irritating sometimes.

"Were you even listening? I said our taxi is here and we'll call you as soon as we land in Kalos, okay?" she nodded gingerly to her sisters' words. "Love you." She blew a kiss and followed the other two out the door.

Once they were gone Misty let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in. The silence around her was so unfamiliar, so strange. There wasn't a time she could recall where things were this quiet. Tonight she was on her own for the first time in awhile and the thought terrified her. Her thoughts would eat her alive. They would slowly pick apart every inch of her brain, searching for any piece of her past to shove in her face.

However she knew if things got too bad she could give her brunette best friend a call. It was an unwritten law; if one of them needed something the other would be there in a split second. Usually though it was Misty calling at 2 in the morning from not being able to sleep. May didn't mind and the ginger knew that, but that didn't mean she felt like any less of a burden to her.

Glancing at the time and seeing it was only six thirty she decided maybe a walk would do her justice. It could clear her mind, erase anything negative thoughts and possibly put her in a good mood before her expected dreadful night. Grabbing her blue windbreaker and slipping on her worn out red sneakers she double checked the door was locked before making her way outside. She put her keys in her pocket, letting her hand linger in the warmth. Walking through the streets of Cerulean had always been something the youngest Waterflower sister did. Whenever her and her sisters would fight she'd go get lost downtown and find her way home. It was effective strategy that taught her the way around town and helped her cool her temper.

However this time she was walking a familiar path, one she had walked almost a thousand times before. It was through a small park and the road she traveled was hidden under large oak trees and colorful wildflowers. Her mind remembered every memory her and this path had shared from the first accidental stumble onto it to the late night meetings when she would let her tears fall.

Misty followed the man made dirt road until the dirt turned into sand. Her eyes scanned the scene and not seeing a single person there her mouth curved upward. Slipping off her worn out sneakers and pushing them off to the side she continued her walk on the soft sand along the crystal clear water.

The Cerulean Cape was one of her favorite places in all of Kanto. It was peaceful. Only locals were here and even then that rarely happened. Nobody could ever find time to step outside of their stressful everyday life and enjoy a little quiet time. In Misty's case her body was finally at ease. She strolled along the coastline with the occasional wave brushing against her feet and cool sea breeze against her skin. The calmness of the bay seemed to set into her mind and somehow she felt like everything would work out as it should.

Taking the last few steps forward she found her spot. It was off to the side with a few logs, pile of sticks and homemade fire pit. Her memory shifted to the time when her and Brock first found the place. He'd stopped by on his way home from Sinnoh, and his split with Ash. They took a walk together that night and somehow ended up here. Ever since then it'd become some sort of safe haven for her.

Sitting on the ground so her back was leaning against the log she sighed. Her bangs had fallen in her face and her toes stuck together with sand. Giving one more look around she unzipped the pocket of her windbreaker and pulled out her lighter. Quickly she went to work setting up the few sticks she had the right way to make sure they'd stay lit. After being content with it she grabbed the last stick beside her and lit the end before placing it in the center of the pit. Within seconds the pieces of wood were engulfed in flames and instant warmth hit her body.

Her eyes focused on the water and the setting sun above it. The sky was what she believed it should always be. Different shades of pinks and oranges were painted across it with dabs of purple here and splashes of yellow there. The sun itself was the center of the masterpiece, reflecting off the mirror like water. Off in the distance she could see the outlines of Wingulls soaring into the scene. It was like it was out of some cliché romance movie where the guy and girl were happily together on the beach tangled in each others arms.

The thought of someone who would do such a thing made her heart ache. Whenever such thoughts crossed her mind she immediately thought of the boy who had captured her attention since day one. It was no secret the aqua-eyed girl felt an attraction to her best friend. He was everything she hoped for. Well, except the incredibly dense part. Thinking about him made her mind wander to if he was alive or not. She quickly shook away the thoughts before throwing her hands up in frustration.

"Agh!" She groaned, running a hand through her hair. "Boys! Hmph! Who needs 'em?" She questioned herself out loud. Somewhere in the back of her brain she heard the small voice whisper

_You do, stupid. _

Pushing the thought aside she pulled out a Pokéball from her pocket and released the newest addition to her team. On her last visit to Pallet Town she met with Professor Oak who more than happily handed her a newborn Eevee. After a few weeks she received a Water Stone in the mail from Tracey and _voila_!

"Va!" The water eeveelution cried. She nuzzled her head against the porcelain palm of the redhead's hand, making a purring sound as she did.

"I thought you'd like it here. I've been meaning to bring you here forever but I just lose track of time..." Her voice trailed off. Her Pokémon understood though, so no explanation was necessary. In a way she was grateful she told them everything, that way they didn't have to bug her until it was spilled out in a fit of rage.

Now the sun had disappeared behind the waves and the sky was a dark blue, almost black color. Small yellow dots were scattered as far as Misty could see. Stars. The thought of them made the ginger smile uncontrollably. She had always been a fan of them. Ever since she began traveling they served as a guide, pointing her in the right directions and teaching her new things every night. Recalling her journeys and when she couldn't sleep how she'd watch the stars from wherever they were.

"It's times like these where I really miss the old days." She spoke to herself, looking down at the sleeping eeveelution next to her. Her lips curved upward into a small, sad smile. "Sometimes I wish things never changed, you know?" She let out a deep sigh and laid back on the sand, her eyes trained on the night sky.

"Maybe it'll be better soon, who knows?" She mumbled, her eyes sleepily closing shut as her mind began to wander off into a state of dreaming.

LINEBREAK

Gary Oak wasn't one to go out of his way for others. He usually stuck to himself, avoiding all unnecessary human contact. That's how he liked it. However upon receiving a phone call from his best friends' girlfriend he knew something was wrong.

The only thing he'd gotten out of the girl was that her ginger friend wasn't anywhere to be seen. At first Gary figured that May was overreacting as usual but Drew was just as concerned. Gary knew the two were unbelievably close with the youngest Waterflower sister so when they hadn't heard from her in over four hours there was a reason to see why they'd get so worried.

"May, calm down, okay? I know you guys aren't in Cerulean right now. I'll go look for her. The drive there is only fifteen minutes at most and as soon as I find her I'll call, okay?" He promised her. It was true, Viridian City was only a hop, skip, and jump away from Cerulean so it wouldn't kill him to check up on the poor girl. He figured she was at home sleeping and May was being over paranoid.

"Pl-Please Gary, I just, I know how she is, and I j-just," the voice on the other side of the phone spoke before erupting with sobs. In a way Gary felt sorry for the brunette he'd come to know. She was constantly having to worry about if her best friend would make it through all of this. The viridian-eyed gym leader could distinctly remember when he saw Misty break down at the funeral. Gary couldn't recall a time he'd seen her so beat down. She was usually the strong one but being under so much stress really took a toll on her.

"Gary?"

"Yeah, yeah don't worry. I'm going right now." He promised, grabbing the keys to his cherry red convertible as he walked out the door. "I'll call as soon as I find her." He reassured the brunette on the other end before hanging up his Pokégear and locking up the gym, his adventure to find the Cerulean City Gym Leader just beginning.


End file.
